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Olson takes to national stage

Olson takes to national stage

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By Spencer Fordin
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MLB.com |

One day after a stirring victory, the Orioles will try to keep their momentum rolling in front of a national television audience. Baltimore plays in the FOX Game of the Week against Boston on Saturday, a mere matter of hours after scoring four runs to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth inning and one more to win it in the bottom of the ninth.

Baltimore will send prized pitching prospect Garrett Olson to the mound in the middle act of the series, and he'll be matched up against Boston's Josh Beckett. Olson was 9-7 with a 3.16 ERA for Triple-A Norfolk and had mixed results in two big league starts this season. Beckett, meanwhile, has been one of the best pitchers in the league all season.

The Orioles have lost all three series against Boston in 2007 and have dropped the season set seven times in the last eight years. Still, Baltimore is 24-21 overall and 11-5 against American League East opponents since Dave Trembley took the reins.

Pitching matchupBAL: LHP Garrett Olson (1-0, 3.86 ERA)
Olson has allowed two earned runs in each of his two big league starts.

BOS: RHP Josh Beckett (14-5, 3.31 ERA)
Beckett is 7-1 with a 1.59 ERA in road games and 5-1 with a 2.53 mark during the day.

Player to watch
Olson, who's back for his second tour of duty with the Orioles, will be heavily evaluated for the rest of the year.